Abstract (in English)

Over the last two decades, cultural heritage management in relation to development issues has become a challenge for many countries in the world. Conflicts around the issue of cultural heritage are increasing and in Mexico, this increase coincides with the application of NAFTA (North-American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and the United States, 1994). Since then, Mexico has oriented its national policies according to the neoliberal stream which has accelerated the implementation of a model of development that makes emphasis on negotiating everything. These political orientations fostered on the one hand the marketing of cultural heritage, and on the other hand the cultural homogenization slowly ending the rich diversity of models of development and concepts of cultural heritage. The Mexican government opted for a model of development that is, most of the time, in contradiction with cultural policies. In the Mexican Maya area for example, two main concepts of cultural heritage exist. The first system was identified among the Mexican government (as well as among UNESCO’s policies). The second system was identified among indigenous Maya people. The first system is fundamentally drawn from the occidental thought and the second one from the Amerindian thought. Both systems have their respective modalities to transmit cultural heritage. In both cases, modalities of transmission have a significant role and greatly influence the implementation of a specific model of development. In fact, the way cultural heritage is conceived will state the way it will be managed and transmitted and will define the model of development that should be implemented. Looking at the differences that exist between both systems helps to understand the present conflicts related to cultural heritage and development. To overcome the conflicts, the Amerindian system is considered as a feasible alternative for the world’s challenges in terms of development.